Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Friday's Forecast
Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Snow flurries
Occasional light snow flurries, sleet or rain lower elevations. Amounts little more than nuisance value, but locally more persistent and reducing visibility for periods.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Chilly
Air temperature typically 0 to 5C on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
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Windy, walking impeded
Blustery conditions enough to give buffeting on higher terrain or affect balance on exposed ridges. 25 to 40mph.
Snow flurries
Occasional light snow flurries, sleet or rain lower elevations. Amounts little more than nuisance value, but locally more persistent and reducing visibility for periods.
Poor visibility
Murky conditions with areas of fog shrouding the hills, making navigation challenging. Map and compass essential.
Chilly
Air temperature typically 0 to 5C on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 5th December 2025
Last updated
Thu 4th Dec 25 at
3:25PM
Summary for all mountain areas
South-southeasterly winds strengthen, reaching gale-force afternoon many areas, sooner Wales, here becoming severe. Some rain / hill snow NE Scotland fades, patchy rain west coasts, otherwise dry, then rain sweeps in from southwest later, snow inland mountains into evening. Best cloud breaks NW Scotland.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Gusty wind eases; gales later. A little early snow, low cloud south.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southeasterly, 30-35mph, gusty in places early in day, dropping to 25mph or less for a few hours middle of day. Rising to 45-55mph toward and beyond dusk, further deteriorating into night to 60-70mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Comfortable walking affected from dawn, sudden buffeting gusts in places, easing for a few hours, but then deteriorating to difficult conditions into and overnight. Significant wind chill early and later.
How Wet?
Patchy sleet/snow south and east in morning; snow/rain into night
A few patches of sleet/snow, mostly south Cairngorm slopes and Deeside in the morning, fading out. Rain (snow on high terrain, falling below 800m for a time) sets in widely after dark.
Cloud on the hills?
South and east slopes often shrouded
Fairly persistent banks of cloud from Deeside to Drumochter and south Monadhliath, bases between 500-700m. Northern slopes often clear though a few patches will drift onto eastern areas.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20% high tops and south, 60% northern hills
Sunshine and air clarity?
Some patchy sun in the north, high cloud thickening to cover the sky. Very good visibility out of cloud, particularly north, mistier southern hills.
How Cold? (at 900m)
0C; will rise a few degrees in the late overnight hours. Wind chill effect will vary, but early and late -10C to near -15C highest tops.
Freezing Level
Poorly defined, 600-800m, though frost at lower elevations, including in glens. Rising overnight variably to upper slopes.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 6th December 2025
Last updated
Thu 4th Dec 25 at
3:25PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Southeasterly 15 to 25mph, gusty in places mainly around higher Cairngorms and northern corries, risk local 30-35mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
May be fairly small most areas, but possibly more blustery in places and suddenly gusty not just on the tops.
How Wet?
Patchy rain
Rain on and off, most frequent toward south and east Cairngorms NP, may be often damp all day; sleet highest tops. Patchier toward Strathspey, may be often dry toward Monadhliath.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive, highest north
Covering the mountains most likely all day, to mid-elevations southern areas from Drumochter around to Deeside, banks on some lower slopes. Higher cloud base northwest of Cairngorms, breaks to 900m.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
20%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Rare glimpses of sun mainly Strathspey. Misty south and eastern areas, better visibility toward Monadhliath, good below cloud.
How Cold? (at 900m)
3C. Wind chill feeling like -5C risk near -10C locally if exposed to stronger speeds.
Freezing Level
1300m.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 7th December 2025
Last updated
Thu 4th Dec 25 at
3:25PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Very uncertain: South to southeasterly 20 to 30mph, perhaps less. Small risk increasing further south/eastern areas.
Effect of the wind on you?
Fairly small at times, but expect blustery and gusty conditions around higher mountains, chance worsening further.
How Wet?
Risk a little rain mainly south
Patchy rain mostly southern Cairngorms NP, more often dry north. Chance of more widely escaping drier.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive, lowest south
Covering higher mountains most or all day, to mid-elevations toward southern Cairngorms, some higher breaks in north.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Largely cloudy, some brief glimpses of weak sun north of Cairngorms. Visibility good where dry, reducing in rain.
How Cold? (at 900m)
4C, small variation with height. Feeling like -5C or possibly colder if exposed to stronger wind.
Freezing Level
Above freezing to highest tops.
Planning Outlook
Generally unsettled through the weekend and into next week with areas of low pressure circulating near to the British Isles. Day-to-day detail will be uncertain even in short-range as complex systems move around slowly - a series of frontal systems bringing spells of rain and some high-level snow, mixed with showers with hail mostly near western coasts. Temperatures often on the milder side compared to recently, with typically only higher tops in the Highlands intermittently just below freezing point, expect periods of thawing up to these tops. Wind speeds will also vary, often south to southwesterlies, at times reaching gale force on tops, but intermittent lulls.